How I Live Free: Jordana Korsen

The glass blower, teacher, and shop owner chats about why her art is rooted in NH, and details a few ways she chooses to “live free.”

For the past 25 years, artist Jordana Korsen has practiced glassblowing through much of New England, but when it came time to open her very own business, “it had to be in NH.” Through her experience teaching at the Snow Farm and the New England Craft Program to running the glass blowing program at Franklin Pierce University, she decided to create a non-traditional place where anyone could come learn the basics of glassblowing. She now runs the Hot Glass Arts Center in Marlborough where she and her team create customized private lessons for anyone interested in learning the art.

How NH Factors into Your Art

I found glass blowing as an undergrad while working on an education degree. I ended up studying both, even though I knew I would use the education degree in a classical sense. I worked as a teacher in Massachusetts, but there’s so much cottage industry in New Hampshire which I love. The community is really supportive of local businesses and local artists.

What “Living Free” Means to Me

Being open to the possibilities. Here, the weather is always changing and there are so many options for what you can do in a day. You have to leave the house prepared for rain even if it’s sunny. Everyone I know has a rain jacket, hiking boots, and granola bars in their car at all times. Because you’re always prepared to go on, say, a spontaneous hike without having to go home first. People up here are always “seizing the day.”

Favorite NH Pastimes

I go walking or hiking with my dog every day, no matter what the weather is like. There are nine places in my neighborhood alone where I can disappear into the woods for an hour or two. I love that the natural beauty of this place is still intact. I would suggest for someone new to the area to check out Robinhood Park in Keene. It’s one of my favorite places to escape for a bit. There’s a pond and plenty of trails that lead up to boulders and ledges and some nice overlooks.